The Joys of Parenthood
by Kutsu
Summary: There is no happily ever after. There's life, though, with both its ups and downs, and that was enough for Sasuke. Sasunaru.  EDIT: Has been divided into chapters.
1. First choices

**EDIT: Okay, so, as some of you have so kindly pointed out, this fic was way too long for your poor heads to have time to get any rest. Did I hear about people going to sleep at four a.m.? Yup. Needless to say I'm very sorry.**

**So...First chappie. There will be no smut. There will be _no_ M-preg. Not over my dead body. Y'all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Really? Really.  
**

* * *

_Fare thee well  
My own true love  
Farewell for a while  
I'm going away  
But I'll be back  
Though I go ten thousand miles...  
_

* * *

Mornings, Sasuke Uchiha considered, were the worst possible combination of Heaven and Hell one could ever hope to imagine. Worst, because the good and bad always mixed up in a way that left him frustrated and powerless. And there was never anyone he could blame.

Today, for example, had been the much-expected first sleep-in morning of the week. On work days he'd wake bright and early around six, take his breakfast without waking anyone and leave as quietly as he could afford. The rest of the house had never considered returning him the favor.

The television was already on, and he could hear it distinctly, even from the bedroom. Refusing to so much as snort at the irony -he was _not_ going to confirm to anyone, not even himself, that he was awake at this time of the day- he let out a mental sigh; kids sure groaned and complained all week about getting out of bed for school, but as soon as the weekend arrived, they were up a seven thirty at latest, watching all the stupid cartoons and animes -because they insisted those two things just _weren't_ the same- they absolutely couldn't miss. Figured.

His ill thoughts seemed to reach the other side of the bed, because suddenly he heard a soft groan, and the mattress moved slightly as his sleeping partner rolled over to his side, one arm lazily sneaking upon the Uchiha's waist. The latter refused to move.

"I know you're in there," an amused voice murmured, somewhere next to the back of his neck. He said nothing, and heard a low chuckle. And then the mouth pressed against his skin, the nose nuzzled his lower scalp, and all of a sudden, everything in the world felt just right. He could have released a small moan of appreciation, but pretending to sleep was much more rewarding.

Firm arms pulled his limp body back against warm flesh, and the mouth edged on to the side of his neck, and then to his ear, tongue poking out to lick the skin jointing the lobe back to the rest of his head. This time he let out a soft sigh. The chuckle above him was low, and he noted that the room's exterior suddenly sounded a lot quieter than it had been five seconds ago.

"Three seconds," came the whisper above him. "Two, one..."

The bedroom door burst open, and the two oldest intruders were the first to speak. "Guys!" they called, voicing their clear indignation at the sight of the two adults still in bed, "Time to wake up!"

Again, the voice above him chuckled. "You could have waited an hour or two, you know."

"But Dad," the sole blond of the group protested. "Seiji made breakfast special."

The working part of Sasuke's mind wailed. Defeated, he groaned and straightened up, away from the pillow he'd sworn seconds ago not to abandon no matter what. Just in time to see his youngest child enter the room, carefully carrying a tray that looked way too heavy for him. His sister and half-brother did not move to help him, their faces wordlessly revealing to the adults how keen the twelve-year-old was on doing the task all by himself.

Dropping the tray at the end of the bed, he smiled up at Sasuke, clearly expecting the praise everyone knew he was going to get. The Uchiha sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. Bittersweet. There was no other way to describe how exhaustingly content he felt at the moment. "Thanks, Seiji," he told his son with a small yawn. "Did your brother and sister give you any help?"

"Yuu made coffee," the small boy assured, eying the two smoking mugs with slight hostility. "And Ren helped with the pancakes."

"And we made sure you couldn't hear anything," the blond, older boy assured with a snide smile. "Did the TV wake you guys up?"

"Quiet, Yun-yun, or we're going to witness the Saturday Uchiha Rampage." Naruto Uzumaki leaned forward, reaching for the appetizing pancake-filled plate the youngest child had generously covered in syrup. Not that he wanted to eat the plate, mind you. You get the point. "I had enough with the one he made last week."

Sasuke glared at his lover. "You keep complaining about that and I _will_ be going on the second rampage of the month," he growled. "Last week was completely uncalled for."

"Aw, come on, Dad," Ren protested with a teasing smile. "What's a little water going to do to you?"

"Pouring an entire pitcher over my head is not what I call 'a little water'," her father grumbled back, reaching for his mug of coffee. "I'm warning the four of you; next time you pull a stunt like this, I will not be held responsible for my actions."

"Yeah, I think we got that the first time around," Naruto assured him with a grin, blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Especially when you tried to drown Yuu in the swimming pool."

"For someone who didn't want to get wet, you sure put your heart to it," the aforementioned teen remarked, smile mirroring his father's. He held his own coffee-filled mug, and sipped, staying well out of the Uchiha's reach. "We had to celebrate spring _some_ way," he added innocently.

"And we won, in the end, didn't we?" Naruto reminded him. "After you finished with Yun-yun and I had put Seiji under the shower" -cold shower, everyone mentally corrected the blond, ice-cold shower- "all we had to do was catch Ren."

"You say that like it was the easiest part," the raven-haired girl protested haughtily. "I lasted longer than those two." Thumbs poked out of her folded arms, accusingly directed at her male siblings.

"You were armed," her father replied. "I didn't see Yun-yun play around with a water gun."

"Seiji had one, though," Naruto pointed out. "Drenched the entire kitchen while I was getting the ice cubes."

The youngest Uchiha allowed a very stern pout to form upon his features, and Sasuke sighed, ruffling his son's hair. "You all deserved what you got," he informed the boy. "There's a reason why _I_ don't wake the dobe in the morning." It wasn't a widely-known fact. But if you managed to piss the Namikaze heir off to a sufficient extent, no one would guarantee you'd come back either physically or mentally intact.

Ren sighed, and simultaneously, she and Yuu propelled themselves upon the bed. Sasuke glanced at the three children. None of them had the same eye color, he remarked for what seemed like the thousandth time. Maybe more. He and Ren shared the onyx shade proper to the Uchiha clan, and both of his children had the smooth, silky raven hair that labeled them as clear members of his family. Yuu was the conform copy of his father. Same blond locks, same build, same temper. The only notable difference were the eyes. Instead of his father's sapphire blue shade, the two orbs shimmered in emerald, irises just as huge as the other blond.

And Seiji, sweet little Seiji, had surprised everyone by letting his eyes keep their azure shade well after growing out of his baby years. Sasuke still didn't know how that had happened. Neither of the boy's parents had even a glimpse of blue-eyed ancestors. The youngest Uchiha was otherwise just as similar to his younger self as Yuu was to Naruto, but the blue eyes stood out like a drop of blood on fresh-fallen snow. Beautiful, intriguing, and somewhat frightening. As though the boy had been a predicament to the events that had followed his birth.

* * *

"Sasuke! Teme, wake up, damn you!"

There had to be an excuse to the racket Naruto was making. The blond wasn't usually suicidal, and he did know the exact limits of Sasuke's low tolerance for morning uproars.

Rising slowly, he handed the blond a thoroughly murderous glare before blinking his way back to reality. Where had the dream-hours gone? "You've got ten seconds," the Uchiha growled under his breath, "to either spit something worthwhile or bail. I'm not holding back once I get out of bed."

"I'm going to marry Sakura."

And just like that, his mind was awake and fully alert. He blinked. "What?"

"Told you you should wake up," the other man said with a large grin. "You heard me."

"Naruto, you're twenty-three," the Uchiha groaned. "It's way too early to think about this kind of thing."

The blond didn't reply immediately, and Sasuke's head fell back upon the mattress. When the silence pursued, however, he opened his eyes again. Wide. "You're really serious, aren't you?"

Naruto turned away from him, and looked all too innocently out the window. His shoulders dropped. "She's pregnant," he murmured.

"She's _what_?" He had screeched. Well, not completely. But his voice had definitely been much louder than the usual volume he used. And didn't hide any of his shock.

"Pregnant." Naruto sighed. "She told me yesterday evening. I spent the entire night thinking about it, and" -he turned resolutely back towards Sasuke- "I've made my decision. I want to marry her and keep the kid."

"That's not for you to decide," the Uchiha snapped. "She'll be the one carrying the baby; you can't tell her she has to-"

"She said she was ready to keep him," Naruto stated softly.

Sasuke frowned. "You already know it's a boy?"

"No, I'm just guessing." The blond chuckled, running a nervous hand through his hair. Unsure of how to act, he sat down on the Uchiha's bed, and put his head in his hands. "Damn."

Sasuke straightened. Sighing, he leaned over to the other man. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "Both of you? Who's going to take care of the baby once it's born?"

"I won't let her drop out," Naruto sighed, his face still dissimulated between his palms. "If someone has to stop school I-"

"Dobe." The cutting tone stopped the blond right in his tracks. "You are not dropping out, and Sakura is not dropping out. If you want to keep the kid, find someone to help." He resolutely met the azure orbs as Naruto gave him an uncertain look. "If it gets too ugly I can always help."

The sapphire orbs had lit up in hope, and, oddly, gratitude. "You'd do that?"

He shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

* * *

Seiji had taken the tray back, and Naruto had gotten out of bed, dragging himself over to the closet, where he took out clothes of varying shapes and sizes, throwing half to Sasuke. "Ren," he called. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for archery?"

"I'm leaving," the fourteen-year-old shouted back from the other side of the house. "Yuu, if you hid my gloves again I'm seriously going to kill you!"

"Keep the noise down," the raven-haired adult groaned. "I'm not completely awake yet." Blinking at the articles of clothing his lover had just dropped next to him, he stared, trying to figure out exactly how to interact with the strange material.

"Rampage," Naruto warned. The house immediately hushed. Ren was even careful not to stomp down the staircase too noisily, and wished the family the usual farewells before closing the front door behind her.

Naruto sighed. "On your feet, Uchiha," he commanded in the same amused voice he'd used earlier. "You'll never get dressed if you keep the covers over you." Mercilessly, he pulled the thin sheets back, revealing his lover's mostly bare skin to the cooler air. Sasuke hissed. "And swear properly, teme," he added with a smirk. Picking up the raven-hair's clothes once more, he unfolded the shirt, pulling the collar open with swift efficiency. "Arms up," he ordered.

Wordlessly Sasuke obeyed, allowing the blond to pull the shirt over his chest, appreciating the soft kisses that trailed along his abs in the process.

"How come out of the four people living here with me you're the one who still can't dress by himself?" Naruto asked in a soft whisper. "Your own kids cook for you; you have your personal servant" -he winked- "at your disposal, and soon you'll be asking me to wash you."

"I wouldn't mind," the Uchiha replied with a small smirk. Naruto grinned back, rolling his eyes.

"When you're done flirting," a voice from the room's entrance drawled. Both men turned, and Yuu added, "and dressing, you might want to know Mom's coming at eleven. You guys want me to cook?"

"I wanna help!" Seiji appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and gripped the hem of his sibling's shirt tightly. "You're not making any food without me!" He hurried back to the kitchen.

The three remaining males shook their heads in weary amusement. "I'll let you start," Yuu called from the room's threshold. Turning back towards the two men, he added, "She said to tell you to expect a full check-up, and no buying your way out of it. You know how she'll react if either of you find a reason not to be here." A dangerous smile crept on the teenager's face, and Sasuke sighed.

"I'm going to start limiting the number of visits you can pay to my brother," he growled. "I knew I'd have to deal with your father's crazy mischief all over again when you were born, but if you start adding Itachi to the mix, I'm throwing the towel in."

"But temeeee..."

Sasuke blinked at the united voices. And glared as the two blonds looked at each other, laughing. "You guys need to stop doing that," he sighed.

Yuu humphed. "It's his fault," he reminded the Uchiha, pointing towards his father.

And indeed it was. While Yuu had been introduced to Sasuke almost immediately after his birth, he'd only learned the Uchiha's name at the age of two. Up to that moment, he'd called the raven-hair the exact same way Naruto always had, a word which coincidentally had been his very first.

On that day, Sasuke had sworn to himself he'd never let the name-calling get to the point where his children would instinctively go on calling Naruto 'dobe'. It was a right reserved to him alone.

* * *

"You're not going to marry." The words were spoken out in the gravest, most dangerous voice Naruto had ever heard coming out of his best friend's mouth. It even came close to Itachi's. Definitely scary.

"Chill," the blond sighed. "What are you getting so worked up about?"

"You're obviously not realizing the full implications of your statement," came the ice-cold reply. "What about the kid? What about Sakura? Does she know you suddenly decided you two should split?"

"She's the one who told me it wasn't going to work out." Blue eyes rose slowly, but eventually came to face the onyx orbs. "We weren't ready for this, Sasuke."

"I thought I had told you that ages ago," the Uchiha snapped back. "But you had to go and decide to keep the kid, become a happy family when you were both only twenty-four. Why did I choose to follow that crazy idea of yours again? Oh, right, because you said you wanted to be a _dad_."

Naruto blinked. "Are you angry at me?"

"Angry?" Sasuke glared. "Do I have any reason not to be? This kid's going to come out halfway unwanted, when I told you this was a bad idea, and I followed your decisions against my own judgment-"

"I want the kid." The sapphire irises did not waver in the slightest. "I know Sakura wants him just as much as I do. It's not him we weren't ready for. It's us."

This time it was Sasuke's turn to blink. "Naruto," he began slowly. "You've been in love with that woman for more than a decade. How can you not be ready?"

"Well, it was love," the blond admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "But not that kind of love. I mean" -he sighed, frustrated at not knowing how he could explain what he meant- "Not adult love. I wanted to date her, and go out with her, and stay in that bubble where there only was the two of us and nothing else." He chuckled nervously, and stared at the floor. "I wanted the medic student, duty-free Sakura. Not the future mother. I don't feel ready to deal with that yet."

The silence that ensued was heavy.

"Naruto?" The voice was completely devoid of emotion.

Timidly, the blond looked up again. "Yeah?"

"You're an idiot."

The laugh came out slightly strangled. "More than you think," came the unexpected reply. "Sakura had to point everything out to me before I could figure out what my problem was. She told me we still needed to sort out how we were going to take care of the kid-"

"When is it due?"

"End of February," Naruto grinned. "Hopefully he'll have blond hair to warm things up."

"I only wish." The Uchiha sighed again. "I'm never going to forgive you for this," he growled.

"You will," the blond replied knowingly. "Once the babe's born, you won't be able to regret anything."

* * *

"Phone's ringing!" Yuu called from the kitchen. "Dad!"

"He's in the shower." Sasuke stepped forward swiftly, grabbing hold of the shrill object and bringing it to his ear. "Yes?"

"_Boss? I'm not waking you, aren't I?_"

The man sighed. Glanced at his watch. "It's ten thirty," he replied. "I'm almost vexed, Suigetsu."

"_It's the weekend,_" the man remarked. "_On a Saturday, I wouldn't be surprised to hear you're still in bed._"

"Naruto's been talking to you again," the Uchiha growled. "Ever heard of kids?"

"_Sadly, I have. Listen, Sasuke, I got a call from Neji Hyuuga the other day, and he'd like to meet you personally to go over the contract-_"

"When?" Sasuke interrupted, walking over to his office, where his agenda lay spread open upon his desk.

"_Next week,_" was the reply. "_Sunday, at noon. He said he'd come down at the office._" Suigetsu did not add a word. The usually cheerful man was presently very quiet, fully aware that the Sunday column of the agenda was currently residing right underneath his boss' nose, and that its contents were not going to make anyone happy.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke began quietly. "Did I give you the month's important dates?"

"_You did, boss,_" was the resigned answer. "_But I couldn't just tell the guy to change his plane tickets, his schedule's as tight as yours during the week. If you'd been out of town, he would have understood, but..._"

"So you're telling me I might as well start finding a way to tell my daughter I won't be able to attend her competition, because I've got to eat lunch with someone from whom the only thing I need is a signature."

"_Boss, you know it's not that simple-_" Suigetsu's voice was abruptly cut off as Sasuke hung up. Angrily, he tossed the phone across the desk, and fell into his chair.

"Ren's not going to be too happy about that," a voice remarked.

"Tell me something I don't know," the man snapped, closing his eyes. "Or better; shut up and come here. I need some physical comforting."

Naruto chuckled, and walked over, his golden hair still dripping with water. "Usually I'm the one asking for massages," he remarked. "Don't you want to give me one? I'm sure it'll help you relax."

"No."

The answer was clear enough. Sighing, the blond man stepped behind the armchair, and placed his hands on either side of Sasuke's head. Gently, his fingers began prodding the skin, easing out tense muscles and smoothing frowns. "You're going to have to tell her," Naruto eventually said. "May I suggest doing it as quickly as possible?"

"When she gets back," the other man sighed. "Those are the times where I understand the advantages of directing a college rather than a company. You don't work on weekends."

"Think again, teme. I'm just being lazy, that's all. But people in that job section usually do understand the concept of having kids keeping you away from duty's call."

"A quality that's seriously lacking in my area." Sasuke opened his eyes. "You'll go?" he asked.

"I would have gone even if you'd come," the blond replied, smiling. "Or do I need to remind you of our agreement to share kids?"

"Hopefully not." The raven-hair straightened in his seat, allowing the tan hands to move down to his neck, and sighed softly. "I hate this," he growled.

* * *

"_It's a boy!_" Sasuke winced, drawing the cellphone away from his ear in order to prevent further damage. "_He's adorable, and his eyes are already turquoise; they're going to be just like Sakura's and-_"

"Naruto." The stern voice seemed to bring the other man back to earth. Slightly. "Congratulations. Now breathe in, and tell me what his name is."

"_Yuu,_" came the immediate reply. "_Isn't it cute? Kiba came in five minutes ago and nicknamed him Yun-yun on the spot; I think it's going to stick, teme, Shika was already using it too, and-_"

"Dobe," Sasuke warned for the second time, "I told you to breathe. Call him Yun-yun all you want. But I wouldn't mind a better description. And is Sakura alright?"

"_Tired,_" Naruto said. "_But she's happy. You should see them together, they're just..._" The blond paused, unable to voice what lay before his eyes.

"So you're reconsidering?"

"_What? No, no. I'm just glad she'll be as great a mother as I hope to be a father._" There was another pause. "_You should really come see him. When can you get here?_"

A small smile made its way to the Uchiha's lips. "Maybe I can afford to skip classes," he stated. "Just this once. But this better be worth it."

Sasuke Uchiha came from a affluent and prosperous family. This said, it was obvious to deduce that he was both practical and well-mannered, and would place his friends' psychological well-being long before any of his personal whims. Which was why he was presently focused on a vivid mental debate.

It's a common fact that non-parents usually don't like babies. They squirm, they cry, they drool, and aren't nearly as beautiful as their parents claim. Sasuke took things a step further by loathing their weakness and complete dependance on people who weren't always necessarily good. Though for the infant he was about to meet, the parents were one thing he knew he didn't have to worry about. Too much, anyways.

No, what troubled him was that he hated having to lie to Naruto, or Sakura. He would never tell either of his friends what he was most likely to think about the newborn child, aware that once the nuttering years were over, things were bound to get more tolerable. But he didn't like babies.

The hospital was big, but Naruto waited for him in the entrance hall, alone. As soon as he spotted Sasuke, he raced forward.

"They wouldn't let me take Yuu downstairs," he sighed. "Though I guess the place's too cold for him. Come on, you gotta see him!" Pulling his friend by the arm, he stopped almost immediately, and turned. "Teme, what's the matter?"

Sasuke blinked. And realized he must have let some of his reticence -no it wasn't reticence- slip enough to make Naruto notice. He shook his head, and forced on a smile. "It's nothing. Let's go."

But the blond didn't budge. Instead, he grabbed the Uchiha's shoulders with both hands, and looked at him straight in the eye. "Sasuke," Naruto stated, uttering each syllable distinctly. "It's going to be fine. You don't have to be nervous."

So that was how he was feeling? Shrugging the question away testily, he let the blond lead him to the closest elevator, than through the halls, until they had reached their final destination. Naruto entered first.

"Sakura?"

Shifting slightly to the side in order to see -Sakura was scary at times, but definitely less than the unknown human- Sasuke felt a small twinge of relief upon noting that the pink-haired woman had not changed -save for the now flat belly- and smiled towards him the way she always had.

Sakura then turned towards Naruto, nodding silently to the new father as he approached her, and proceeded into handing him the bundle of covers that had been laying in her arms. "He _was_ trying to go to sleep," she scolded. To Sasuke, she added, "We're sorry we made you skip classes. But Yuu wouldn't wait." She smiled towards the bundle. "I'm glad you could make it."

The dark-haired man felt his smirk edge back to his face. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied, absently noting he had to be a little paler than usual to make Sakura frown. "Let's see the little devil, then."

The woman smirked, watching as Naruto walked back towards his friend. "Take one look at him," she instructed as the latter gently pushed some of the covers back to show his son's face. "And tell me if he doesn't look like his father."

Anticipation and -quite annoyingly- fear peeked as Sasuke braced himself, and finally glanced over the bundle resting in Naruto's arms. At fist, he didn't see anything. The mass of covers shaded off the infant face, and maybe his eyes were also trying to avoid the introductions. Angrily his blinked, and looked again. And there it was.

Not as terrifying as he had imagined, he had to admit. But these were only the first few seconds. Though the sleeping infant did carry his father's traits. Blond tufts of hair already covered the small scalp -the child was far from bald- and the face had a distinct Naruto-ish look to it.

"Here."

Onyx eyes widened brutally as the bundle suddenly edged forward, and Sasuke looked up into smiling azure. Naruto's grin was warm and alight. "Take him."

Hesitantly, the young man extended his arms, offering support for the immobile infant, and let Naruto settle things into his grip.

"Don't drop him," the blond advised with a chuckle. "Put your arm under his head. Like this." Gently Naruto led the limbs into a proper position, and stepped back to admire the effect. Unsure, Sasuke looked down again, refusing to show his state of unease. And suddenly stared.

The button eyes had opened. As Naruto had said, they weren't entirely blue, instead shinning in a deep shade of intrigued turquoise. And the look...

He'd recognize that look anywhere. Yet how could it appear on a face he didn't know? Spell-stricken, he did not notice one of the minuscule arms squirm out of the covers' warmth in order to reach out, straight up in order to catch some of the raven strands of hair hanging from the Uchiha's scalp. The pixie hand closed, and tugged.

Sasuke jerked, though softly enough so as not to alarm either parent. Naruto laughed. And suddenly, a second, much lighter sound erupted from within the bundle laying in the Uchiha's arms. Another laugh. Sasuke just stood, bewildered.

"Teme?" Naruto's slightly concerned voice didn't even lift him from his hypnotized state. The blond approached, suddenly worried. "Sasuke, are you okay?"

Onyx orbs lifted, for a split-second, then went straight back towards the giggling child, head lowering enough to let the long strands of hair hover directly above the baby face, watching in mute fascination as the hands reached out again and tugged.

On that day, Sasuke Uchiha fell in love with the youngest being he had ever come to meet.

* * *

The doorbell rang purely out of formality. Sakura Haruno had made it clear that while all three of them -as well as her new husband- possessed keys to both houses, they still needed permission from the owners to come inside.

Sasuke didn't even bother to open his mouth; Yuu had already darted for the front door, Seiji in hot pursuit. The door opened, and the younger boy was the first to speak.

"Mommy!"

A soft laugh was heard distinctly through the house as Sakura entered, followed by the renewed laughter of the new husband. Not-so-new, by anyone's standards, but people got the point.

"Seiji!" the male voice exclaimed. "You have grown again during your absence! If this keeps up we will have to buy you clothes on a monthly basis!"

Yuu's chuckle followed. "He doesn't grow that fast, Lee. I'm sure he hasn't gained a millimeter since we left. And that was last week."

"Is your stuff ready?" Sakura asked. "And how come neither of your fathers have come to greet us?"

"Coming!" Feet thundered above, and Sasuke sighed, getting to his feet as the stairs howled underneath the blond's pedical wrath. "Nice to see you both!" he heard his lover exclaim. "You're staying for lunch, aren't you? Yuu prepared everything." And smirked. It was always the same arguments that convinced the loving parents.

"We are," Sakura sighed. "But you two are not getting out of your examination by daunting me with edible food. Where's Sasuke?"

"Trying to work his way out of work," Naruto sighed. "Seiji, can you get him?"

"I'll go," Yuu offered. "Baby Seiji obviously has other things to attend to."

Laughs erupted, as well as a distinctive pout from the youngest child. Then, there were sounds of people heading off to the living room, and one singular pair of footsteps approaching his personal refuge. Yuu stopped right behind the door.

"You know, there's this thing called facing your fears," the seventeen-year-old remarked with a sigh. "Or did you decide you were going to stay here until the Evil Doctor leaves?"

"I sincerely hope Sakura has stopped being one of my fears," Sasuke replied. The office door opened, and the blond teen seemed thoroughly unsurprised to see the man standing right behind it.

"If that's the case, then I'm telling Mom you've been eavesdropping."

"Do me a favor and don't," the man sighed. Thoughtful, he then added, "There's something useful you can do, actually. Since we're not allowed out of the house -by your very orders, if I may say so- why don't you go pick Ren up? She hasn't packed yet, so it's better to make her get here fast, don't you think?" He smirked, watching the emerald orbs widen, and then glare furiously into his face.

"Why do I have to-"

"I would," Sasuke interrupted with another smirk. "But seeing how both you and your mother are bound to see this as an escape route..." He trailed off, letting his lips stretch fully in order to show the teen exactly how much he was enjoying this.

Yuu only glared. "I hate it when you do this," he growled, turning heels and heading back to the lobby. "It's not my job to play taxi-"

"But you'll do it so I can get examined," Sasuke remarked. "I told you I'm willing to go."

"You're staying right where you are," the blond shot back. Somberly, he grabbed the necessary keys -Sasuke's, since Yuu had always preferred the slick black mustang to his father's orange pickup, or his own motorcycle- and left the house.

* * *

**TBC**

**Lyrics are from Mary Chapin Carpenter, from the movie _Fly Away Home_. Reviews will be hugely appreciated.**


	2. When you wish

**Disclaimer: One day, I found myself in front of a wishing tree, and did not ask it to give me Naruto. The gods never forget that.**

**Second chapter. Please enjoy.**

* * *

He'd come back for seconds. And thirds, Naruto had never failed to notice. His fascination for the blond infant had not diminished over the days, or weeks, or bloody months. He visited Naruto's apartment every afternoon when Yuu was under his father's care -with the help, of course, of the dobe's grandmother Tsunade- and had drastically increased the number of visits to Sakura when Naruto was allowed to check on his son.

It seemed to him, as well as anyone who bothered to look, that he'd never get enough of the small child. And both parents had proved to be extraordinarily understanding. At some point, Naruto had even offered him to become roommates so that he could see Yuu as often as he wished on his weeks, and Sakura never failed to propose him babysitting sessions whenever she felt the need to go out.

"You'll be a great father, once you decide to have your own," she remarked, on one of those weekend nights where the three of them reunited to talk, watch the blond child and simply be friends. "I think Yuu can almost see you as a surrogate dad." She laughed. "He sees you more often than either of us."

Sasuke frowned, though he wasn't sure about what. He'd never considered the option of having his own children, for one. Although, as a proud member of his clan, he needed heirs. But children? These were two completely different notions. And Yuu? His eyes fell upon the child once more. Sakura had a point.

"Maybe I shouldn't come as often," he said quietly. "You're his parents; I can't let him see me as-"

"Teme," Naruto sighed. "We already went over this. I'm not scared of losing my job as a dad" -he grinned at his son, beckoning the child over- "and you are his godfather. So chill. It's better if he likes you."

Yuu's eyes -now shinning in deep emerald- focused on the tan hand, frowning slightly. The boy stood on wobbly legs, clutching the foot of the table located next to the three adults. Then, hesitantly, he pushed himself away, trotting forward, until his lost his balance. Luckily, his father's hands offered support, and Naruto chuckled in congratulations, bringing his son against his chest. Neither Sakura nor Sasuke were able to repress a smile at the vision.

Yuu laughed, the crystal chime echoing against the apartment's walls, and then opened his mouth to utter the sounds that, lately, he'd been attempting to transform into proper words.

"Daaddy," Naruto articulated above him, pointing at himself. "Say Daaaddy."

"Aaaa..d-deee," Yuu reapeated, and Sakura smiled at the effort.

"Almost there," she remarked.

"And see over there? That's Moooommy. Say Mommy, Yun-yun."

"Om," the little boy said. "Meee."

Naruto lifted his head. "Does this count?" he asked. "He said 'me'. Does it count as a first word?"

"He didn't want to say 'me'," Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes. "So no, it doesn't count-" He shut up reverently as Yuu pointed at him, staring at his father. The sound that came out of his mouth was impossible to associate to any kind of word, but the meaning was clear enough.

"This?" Naruto asked, pointing towards the Uchiha. Yuu giggled and repeated the sound, still pointing. "That's the teme."

"Don't say that," Sakura protested. "He's going to think-" But once again, Yuu's voice brought them all to silence.

"Te...me." The word was hesitant, but there, definitely there. The three adults stared, and Yuu, unimpressed by his first performance, tried again. "Te-me," he blurted, quicker this time. "A Daaa-dee. A Mo-mee." For each word, he turned towards the owner he considered proper, and, to everyone's surprise, Naruto had been the first to burst into tears.

Yuu had then been requested to speak, again and again, until he indicated his exhaustion in the usual sleepy wail. Regardless, after that night, Sasuke's nickname stuck.

* * *

"There you are."

Sasuke saluted the three adults, impassively eyeing his lover, who was trapped within the Evil Doctor's clutches. Sakura tapped the blond over the head.

"Still," she reminded Naruto darkly. "No whining."

"But that's-" The blond bit his lip harshly in order to repress a yelp as the ice-cold metal pressed against his bare back. "Freezing," he finished in a weak voice.

"You're such a crybaby," Sakura sighed. To Sasuke, she added, "How do you tolerate him?"

"I'm not the one doing the medical check-ups," was the shrugged reply. "And in a minute he'll be telling you I'm the crybaby." He smirked towards Naruto, who huffed indignantly. Though there was hardly anything to be indignant about.

"Time to test the theory out." Pushing the blond away, she beckoned the Uchiha forward. "Shirt off," she ordered. "Have you been sick lately?"

"How can the teme get sick?" Naruto asked, pulling his own shirt back on. "His body can't catch disease, _he_'s the disease- you won't kill me like that, Uchiha," he added, grinning back madly at the patented death glare sent his way. "Otherwise you'd have buried me ages ago."

"I'm sure I can manage something with the available utensils," was the gritted reply. "Take two steps back for every second you want to add to your shortening life Uzumak-" The last word halted rather abruptly as the heat-devoid disk of metal was mercilessly shoved on Sasuke's lower back, precisely where everyone knew it would be most effective. There was a common cringe.

"Mommy..." Seiji said pitifully. "You don't have to be so mean."

"Tell your father to behave if he wants me to do the same," Sakura replied flatly. "Especially when I'm the one withholding the aforementioned utensils." She shot the raven-haired man a dark glare. "Honestly, Sasuke, have you become suicidal?"

* * *

"Uchiha, get yourself some kids." Sakura sighed dryly as Sasuke turned, looking slightly surprised. She gazed back, completely unruffled. "You're coming here on your own, nowadays. You never did that before."

There was a snort from the other man. "I've grown up, Sakura. And we're more than just acquaintances." There was a pause. "Though I keep asking you to tell me if my presence bothers you. I can stop coming."

"No!" The sudden wail caused the raven head to lower back to its previous subject of contemplation. Yuu lifted his arms, wide emerald eyes suddenly alarmed. "Teme, don't go! I want you to stay, I want you to stay, don't go!"

Sighing, Sasuke picked the two-year old up, and shushed him, before turning back to Sakura. "Kids also imply a woman to have them with," he added dryly. "You're the only girl I even remotely talk to."

"I do hope I have a slightly higher status than someone 'you remotely talk to'," was the amused reply. Sasuke felt himself flinch, and Yuu's grip around his neck tightened, as though the child was suddenly afraid of falling. Sakura Haruno could be dangerous when pissed.

"Of course you do," he snapped, annoyed by his blatant loss of control. "But there's you, and Naruto, and after that, anyone I know are either family members" -which was by no means a small amount of people- "and other people of the upper class." The last two words were almost spat out. Sasuke Uchiha looked up, straight into the emerald gaze. "I don't want _heirs_."

Which he would invariable get, should he meddle -breed was the correct term- with that lot. Sakura nodded understandingly.

"Besides that I know no one at all. You know that."

The woman sighed. "Yuu needs to go to bed." Approaching the two males, she opened her arms, and Sasuke returned the sleepy child. He followed her to the bedroom the three of them had spent countless hours painting, decorating and filling with toys of all kinds. One was hung above the bed; a plastic X to which brightly colored acrobatic clowns were hung. In the middle was a small handle, that Sasuke helpfully tugged all the way down as Sakura placed Yuu upon the mattress. A soft melody erupted from the object, and the clowns began to turn. Brahms' lullaby.

The two adults looked at the blond child silently as the music box played its gentle tune, then walked out, as silent as ghosts, and returned to the living room.

"You come every night he's here," Sakura sighed once they were far enough not to disrupt Yuu's sleep. She chuckled. "You even eat with us on those evenings."

"You forced me," Sasuke remarked.

"I couldn't not force you," the woman replied darkly. "You didn't have time to eat properly before you got back from work, and you stayed until he went to bed."

"Sakura, I'm perfectly able to control my stomach until I get home," Sasuke replied with a sigh. "I'm grateful for you invitations, but it honestly isn't a problem."

"That's not my point. You still do. What I'm trying to say is, you practically live here when Yuu's around."

The Uchiha gave her a hard stare. "You want me out," he stated blankly.

"You are dense," Sakura sighed, handing him an annoyed look. "You said it before; you know me. What I'm proposing you is to take out the 'practically'."

Suddenly Sasuke was glad he wasn't holding Yuu anymore. Because despite all the good intentions he had with the child, he would have dropped him. Sakura met his gaze unblinkingly, her serious emerald eyes showing she wasn't joking in the least.

"You're not serious." Well, he still had to verify. Perhaps he hadn't checked the date, and it was the first of April or something. Though it was the start of winter. That couldn't be it.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" she asked.

"No." He felt himself shiver. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I thought you had gotten over me," he defended. "Years ago."

To this, a small smile formed. "So did I," the woman sighed. "Apparently we were both wrong."

"Sakura, you remember what I told you the last time-"

"I'm aware of that." Green eyes had hardened a little. "But I'm not asking you to love me. Just to live with me for a while." She smiled. "The past months have been great, actually. Having you to myself, with only Yuu to share, it's nice, already. I could settle-"

"You're not serious." This time, Sasuke's voice was devoid of any doubt. The onyx irises were suddenly hard. "Don't lie to yourself."

Sakura stared, looking slightly startled. Then she lowered her head. "It's more complicated than you think, Uchiha. Right now, I want you happy, above anything else. And you're not as happy as you could be. There's one thing you want, and I realized I could give it to you." Lifting her eyes again, she revealed the tears that had formed there. "If that's the only thing I can do for you, then it's already huge."

Sasuke bit his lip, feeling his fingers curl in both hands. "Sakura, I can't do this to Naruto." He knew his voice had taken a pleading edge. He didn't care.

"You think Naruto would do this to you?" the woman shot back. "He'd never feel allowed to keep you away from anyone, not even me. Not when he sees how you behave around his own child! He knows what you want as much as I do; he'd never do this kind of thing!"

"You'll wake Yuu," Sasuke hushed the woman. Sakura stiffened, then forcefully relaxed. Angrily wiping her tears away, she growled, "Is that what you think of him? You believe he'd take it personally?"

The words felt like a fist slammed right into the side of his face. He blinked. Once Naruto was told everything, he would not even stop to think about his own position. His very nature screamed heresy and capital punishment at that particular idea. So why-

Sasuke blinked again. And a third time, just to make sure Sakura was really gone. Frowning, he replayed the several previous seconds his eyes had subconsciously registered while he was thinking. She'd sighed. Turned. And left with the phone in hand. Wait. Phone? Oh shit.

He hurried to her bedroom, but the door was closed, and locked. And there was no way he was picking a tantrum with Yuu so close. The lousy cheater. Fuming patiently, he waited until the large wooden frame pivoted on its own, and handed the pink-haired woman a thoroughly murderous glare before opening his mouth.

Sakura barely seemed ruffled. Holding a hand up, she offered the phone. "He wants to talk to you," she stated blankly.

It was the worst scenario he could have imagined. No. She could have forced him to explain everything himself. Second worst, then. With trembling hands, he gripped the innocent-looking object, and placed it next to his ear.

"_Teme?_" Naruto knew he wouldn't dare start the conversation. Some part of him sighed in relief, while the rest of his brain braced itself for the unknown.

"Yes," he sighed.

"_You're such an idiot._"

Sasuke blinked. He'd been doing that a lot this evening. "What?"

"_You see Sakura more often than me, nowadays,_" came the sighed answer. "_Truthfully I was kind of wondering if you only came to see Yuu on those occasions, but since he was always here when you were, I couldn't exactly tease you about you and his mom, could I?_"

"We haven't done anything!" Suddenly the Uchiha felt flustered. On his left, Sakura chuckled.

"_She told me that. But I was expecting it, and a lot sooner, so don't let me be the argument for a no, Sasuke._"

"You're alright with this?" He knew his voice was barely higher than a whisper. But he couldn't bring himself to make it any louder.

"_Honestly? I'm reassured. I wasn't sure we'd tolerate a girl from the outside, once you decided to have your own kids. Well, I was more afraid Sakura wouldn't, actually; you know how she gets with Ino, and they're supposedly best friends-_"

"Naruto..."

"_So it's good that we stay just the three of us, you know? No strangers, no unknown genes._" There was a laugh from the other end of the line. "_No, seriously teme. I'll be happy for both of you. But if you guys marry, I'm best man._"

Slowly, Sasuke felt the corners of his lips tug upwards. "That's an easy enough promise to make," he replied.

"_So you are going to marry? When are you planning-_"

"Naruto." The stern voice brought the blond to abrupt silence. "Let me finish on my side. I'll deal with the details once the main part is settled." Without an additional word, he hung up, and mutely returned the phone to a smirking Sakura.

"I suppose he'd already begun telling you who to invite to the wedding?" she asked slyly. "I told you there was nothing to worry about."

Sasuke didn't answer, and stared thoughtfully at the picture residing on the living room's low table. The snapshot showed them in their middle school years, when they had first met. Behind the three of them, their perverted homeroom teacher, Kakashi Hatake, merrily ruffled the two boys' heads while standing directly behind Sakura. Out of the four, he was the only one making a face.

"Sasuke?"

He turned. The young woman was looking up at him, more shyly than she had throughout the evening. Waiting for what he had to say.

"You would do it?" he finally asked. "Would you marry me and bear my children?" The question could have sounded blunt to unpracticed ears. But to Sakura, they only revealed Sasuke Uchiha's exact state of mind. More precisely, the raw hope that almost caused his voice to shake.

The soft smile formed again, and she faced him, willing to show him her own truth.

"Yes."

* * *

The car entered the driveway rather abruptly, and it was a good thing Sasuke wasn't there to witness. He'd have scowled. Doors opened and slammed back shut, and the two teenagers climbed up to the porch, entering the house wordlessly.

"Ren, Yuu, hurry!"Seiji darted back to the front door. "The food's getting cold!"

The low grumble that was Yuu's reply was too distant to understand. Ren stomped upstairs without even bothering to speak, and the seated adults stared at each other. Unusual.

"Yuu?" Naruto called. "What happened?"

There was a pause, and the two boys entered the dinning room. Seiji's confused expression was mixed with a little hurt. Sasuke frowned, and beckoned his son over.

"He doesn't want to eat," the blue-eyed child said quietly. Yuu only shook his head darkly in confirmation.

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled as his father lifted an inquiring eyebrow. "I'll send Ren down." Stepping back, he disappeared under puzzled gazes, and climbed up the stairs slowly.

Sakura turned back to the other males. "What's up with him?" she asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. He was fine when he left, wasn't he?" He turned towards Sasuke. "Wasn't he?"

The Uchiha frowned. "I told him to pick Ren up," he replied slowly, and got to his feet. "I'll talk to him."

The two teenagers were located inside Ren's bedroom, speaking quietly when Sasuke entered. They hushed immediately, and Yuu shot him a dark look. "We were talking," he growled.

"Anything you'd mind sharing?" the older male asked.

"No." The answer was snapped out from both mouths, and Sasuke noted that his daughter looked just as somber as her elder sibling. "We're coming," Yuu added with an annoyed sigh.

But such a dismissal was bound to fail. Sasuke gazed into the emerald orbs sternly, and asked, "Is this about fetching Ren? If that's the case I apologize." He made sure his tone was perfectly serious. Teenagers tended to never believe you, and this was not the time to play with Yuu's temper.

The green eyes narrowed. "What else do you think the problem is?" the blond snapped.

Sasuke remained impassive. "I am asking you for a reason," he remarked quietly. "If it's that, again I'm sorry. I never meant to make you feel obliged to do this kind of thing."

"You didn't exactly leave me a choice."

"I did," the man retorted dryly. "Seriously, Yuu, past all the Evil Doctor silliness, I was ready to go. I won't start an argument on where exactly things start going too far, because we both know where that's going to end up." Naruto, of course. "On the other hand, even if that's really what the matter is, I don't see why you should imply Ren. None of this is her fault." Onyx eyes did not detach themselves from the emerald ones, and Sasuke kept his face sternly blank. Of course the picking up wasn't the matter. But if Yuu -or Ren- didn't want him to know what was wrong just yet, he was willing to give them the escape route, albeit with a little reproach along the way.

But Yuu was a fair player. And he knew Sasuke was honest with the apology. Turning his head away angrily, he forced out a sigh. "It's not like I do this every week," he grumbled. "I can pick her up once in a while." Pausing, he then added in a dismissive tone, "We were just talking."

"Do I get to know why you're making a face?"

"No."

The man sighed. Yuu had his father's stubbornness. And temper. Insisting was no use. Turning to Ren, he sighed. "Your mother's waiting to see you," he told the girl. "Wash the frown off and go eat."

Ren pulled her tongue out moodily. Surprised by the unexpected action, Sasuke snorted, and a rueful grin appeared on her face. She headed to the bathroom, and her father turned back towards the blond.

"Might I suggest you come down as well?" the Uchiha inquired. "For your sake," he added as the frown deepened. "It's that or Naruto's going to worry."

Yuu looked down. Then, oddly, his gaze snapped back to the door Ren had just passed, before resuming its previous position. "Just give me a minute," he growled.

The man nodded.

* * *

**I'm not a Sasusaku fan. No, honestly. But for one, I despise M-Preg, and secondly, Sakura's going to have her own role to play in this entire story. So don't hate her just yet.**

**ON THE NEXT EPISODE OF- Oh, um, sorry, next chapter. You get to see Itachi. I looove Itachi. Hopefully, you'll love him too. See you there!**


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